Airports: Heathrow

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of whether a third runway at Heathrow will cause a significant increase in pollution.

Lord Adonis: The predicted impacts of adding a third runway were set out in the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation document and supporting technical reports in November 2007. These show that a three-runway airport in 2020 with around 605,000 annual movements would be no noisier than in 2002, as measured by the size of the area affected by aircraft noise at 57 decibels or above; and concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (the key pollutant of concern) would be lower than they were in 2002.

Armed Forces: Parachuting

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of (a) 2 Para, (b) 3 Para, (c) 7 Para and (d) 9 Para are identified as out-of-date parachutists in accordance with the two-year military parachutist in-date rule.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government why 30 per cent of 16 Air Assault Brigade's military parachutists are not qualified; and what impact that has on operational effectiveness.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The percentage of parachutists within 2, 3, 7 and 9 Para who are out of date in accordance with the two-year military in-date rule is provided in the following table.
	
		
			 Unit Percentage of trained parachutists out of date 
			 2 Para 27 
			 3 Para 35 
			 7 Para 32 
			 9 Para 7 
		
	
	Where necessary aircraft and air crew required to deliver parachute training are retasked to deploy on operations, which take priority. This has an adverse impact on parachute training but does not affect mandated operational capability.

British Coal Compensation

Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many solicitors have been convicted of charges before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal arising from professional misconduct in the handling of cases under the British Coal respiratory disease litigation and British Coal vibration white finger litigation; what is the name of each solicitor and the trading name of his or her firm; and what was the outcome of each case, to include the sentence (if any) imposed.

Lord Bach: The Solicitors Regulation Authority has provided the following information concerning 38 solicitors charged with professional misconduct in handling cases of miners' compensation for occupational ill health:
	Cases heard by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal:
	AMS LLP (formerly Ashton Morton Slack) of Sheffield
	Jeremy Brooke—fined £4,000;
	Edward John Hartley—fined £8000;
	John Michael Hodgson—fined £8,000; and
	Balginder Kaur—fined £4,000.
	11.3.09
	Avalon Solicitors of Warrington
	Andrew Nulty—struck off; and
	Malcolm Trotter—fined £15,000.
	30.4.09.
	Beresfords Solicitors LLP of Doncaster
	James Rhodes Beresford—struck off; and
	Douglas Harold Smith—struck off.
	11.12.08.
	lp;&5qGabb & Co, Abergavenny
	Glyn Frank Maddocks—fined £15,000.
	25.6.07.
	Harrowell Shaftoe Solicitors, York
	Simon Rupert Kay Black, Robert Paul Onyett, John Francis Yeomans, Robert William Miers, James Cooper Scott, Robert Gordon Charles Seaton, John Kevin Millar, Brian William Copley, Mark Tempest, Jacqueline Mary Knights—each fined £1,000. 2.12.08.Hindle Campbell, North ShieldsClive Miller Hindle and Duncan Stuart Campbell —each fined £10,000.4.4.08.IngramsPaul Stott and Catherine Louise Copp—each fined £15,000.18.12.07 Lopian Wagner, ManchesterAnthony Warren Wagner—fined £25,000;Michael Benjamin Lopian—fined £15,000; andMrs Carin Bradley—fined £1,000.24.3.09.MLM Solicitors of CardiffDavid Robert King—reprimanded;Jonathan Fernandez Lewis—reprimanded;Christopher John Mayers—fined £2,500;Nigel Llewellyn Trevor Morgan—reprimanded; andAndrea Thomas—fined £2,500.12.3.07.Raleys, Barnsley.Derek Ian Firth—suspended 4 years;David Peter Barber—suspended 2 years;Jonathan Timothy Markham—suspended 6 months;James William Edward Gladman—fined £10,000;Carol Ann Gill—fined £10,000; andKatherine Anne Richards—fined £10,000. 17.02.09Robinson King of Stockport Jane Robinson—fined £7,500. 11.07.06

British Coal Compensation

Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many solicitors have yet to appear before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal to answer allegations of professional misconduct in the handling of cases under the British Coal respiratory disease litigation and British Coal vibration white finger litigation; and what is the estimated date by which those cases will be concluded.

Lord Bach: The Solicitors Regulation Authority has provided the following information concerning 68 solicitors from 14 solicitors firms:
	Cases pending hearing by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for alleged professional misconduct in the handling of cases under the British Coal respiratory disease litigation and British Coal vibration white finger litigation
	Beckett, Bemrose & Hagan, Wirral—listed 12.05.09Alan Hagan, Howard Roberts Beckett, Marcus Peter Bemrose.Birchall Blackburn of PrestonMichael Foxford, John Didsbury, Conal Gallagher, Carlos Lopez, Jamie Patton, Paul Pickering, William Robbins, Moira Boyce, Judith Bell, Christine Harris, Susan Liver, Catherine MacCracken, Adele Gallagher, Gail Peterson and Rhonda Rosenfield.BRM of ChesterfieldPeter James McGowan, Rodney Alan Shiers, Neil Anthony Brown, Jeremy Christopher Rice. Gorman Hamilton of NewcastleDean Robert Auld, Tim Gorman, David Andrew Hamilton, David James Johnson and Stephen McCourt.Graysons, 4-12 Paradise Square, SheffieldPeter Maxwell Clark, Belinda Jane Lancaster, John Peter Hatfield, Jeremy Peter Hague, Carl Alastair Goodwin.Holmes & Hills of BraintreeGraham John Fraser Steele, Michael James Barry, Mark Brian Cornell, Richard Norton Harris, Colin Ormond Simpson, Judith Hilary Simpson, David William George Whipps, Michael John Wright, Jason Elliott Brady and Christopher Alexander Livingston.Kidd Spoor Harper of NewcastleDiana Claire Harper.Silverbeck Rymer, LiverpoolCharles Anthony Rymer, James Rymer, Joseph Michael Skinner.Simpson Millar of Leeds—listed 09.07.09David Ross, David Nash Harrington (now retired), Lisa Jayne Sheldon, Peter Richard Watson, Vivienne Jane Latimer, Adrian Charles Fawden, Howard Robert Arthur Ford Davies.Stripes of ManchesterRichard Andrew Stripe.Wake Smith Solicitors, SheffieldJonathan Charles Vivian Hunt, Michael John Tunbridge, David William Barclay Ware, Paul Robert Thorn, John Baddeley, Neil Salter, Richard Patrick Lees and Mark Robert Durno Serby.Marrons of Newcastle upon Tyne David Robert Allan, Stephen Mark Porteous.Twigg Farnell of Sheffield Alan Vincent Farnell.Ollerenshaws of Leamington Spa Timothy Richard Ollerenshaw, Debbie Louise Anderson, Jamie St. John Strong.
	We are unable to estimate the dates by which these cases will be concluded as the listing of cases is a matter for the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

British Coal Compensation

Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many complaints have been lodged with the Legal Complaints Service by or on behalf of retired miners and widows concerning inadequate professional service on the part of their former solicitors in the British Coal respiratory disease litigation and British Coal vibration white finger litigation; and what was the outcome of those complaints.

Lord Bach: We understand from the Legal Complaints Service (LCS) that as at 1 May 2009, 5,098 cases had been received by the LCS and of those 4,394 have been closed and 703 matters are outstanding. As a result of these complaints a total of £1,762,933.87 has been returned to former miners and their dependants.

British Coal Compensation

Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of the number of occasions upon which the Legal Complaints Service has not acted upon the recommendations of Zahida Manzoor, Legal Services Ombudsman for England and Wales, in connection with the conduct of solicitors in the British Coal respiratory disease litigation and British Coal vibration white finger litigation.

Lord Bach: We understand from the Legal Complaints Service (LCS) that the LCS has not acted on a recommendation from the Legal Services Ombudsman on just three occasions. Notification of each of these matters was made to the LSO on 29 April 2009.

British Coal Compensation

Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of the number of complaint investigations suspended by the Legal Complaints Service in connection with the conduct of solicitors in the British Coal respiratory disease litigation and British Coal vibration white finger litigation.

Lord Bach: We understand from the Legal Complaints Service that it has suspended complaint investigations against one firm—Raleys Solicitors. As at 19 March 2009 the number of complaint investigations suspended involving this firm was believed to be about 160.
	Ministers will be meeting the Legal Complaints Service and the Solicitors Regulation Authority in June to review their progress on this important issue.

British Coal Compensation

Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of Raleys Solicitors not repaying former clients in the British Coal respiratory disease litigation and British Coal vibration white finger litigation the sum of £7.686 million previously deducted from compensation awarded to them under those schemes and paid to the National Union of Mineworkers.

Lord Bach: Complaints about solicitors are a matter for the Legal Complaints Service (LCS) and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) of the Law Society rather than the Government, since the legal profession is independent.
	However, the Government continue to press the Law Society to achieve payment in full of all inappropriately levied charges. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) support the LCS in its work to recover deductions not yet repaid and provide data to it to enable the work on recovery to continue.

Care Services: Social Workers

Lord Ashley of Stoke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what checks are made to ensure that clients of social workers are satisfied with their care.

Lord Darzi of Denham: I am informed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that, when carrying out an inspection, it provides surveys to help reach a range of people who have an interest in the quality of the services being inspected.
	Surveys are provided in different formats to make them accessible to more people. The CQC compares information from these surveys with other evidence that has been gathered to form a judgement about the quality of the care provided.
	The surveys include optional questions about equality and diversity to help the CQC to understand how well the service is meeting the needs of people from a diverse range of backgrounds.
	However, the responsibility for measuring the impact on, and outcomes for, service users rests with the local council that commissions the service. Evidence from local involvement networks, national surveys and Commission for Social Care Inspection surveys obtained from service and regulatory inspections will give appropriate opportunities to triangulate the results with councils' own monitoring and survey work to form a view on the quality of services.

Civil Service Year Book

Lord Norton of Louth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the Civil Service Year Book when the contract with The Stationery Office expires.

Lord Patel of Bradford: The Government are considering using web technology for the collection and publication of information currently published in the Civil Service. We are seeking feedback from current users of the yearbook and will make a Written Statement as soon as final decisions have been made.

Civil Service: Performance Pay

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government (a) what the total monetary value of Senior Civil Service non-consolidated performance pay awards was in the Ministry of Defence, (b) how many and what proportion of the Senior Civil Service staff in the Ministry of Defence received performance pay awards by SCS pay band, and (c) how those awards were distributed by pay band and award category, for each of the past five years for which data are available.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: It might be helpful if I begin by explaining the basis on which any MoD civil servant may be awarded a non-consolidated award. It is a key element of the Government's pay policy that a proportion of the pay of civil servants is performance-related. The MoD meets this requirement by awarding one-off, non-consolidated and non-pensionable payments which very clearly reward performance in any given year rather than by increasing base pay which has a consolidated ongoing effect even if performance later tails off.
	In turning to non-consolidated awards for senior civil servants, the policy framework for awarding them to members of the Senior Civil Service is set by the Cabinet Office. The MoD is responsible for implementing its own base pay and non-consolidated award arrangements within this framework through an agreed pay strategy. Any non-consolidated award is based on a judgment of how well an individual has performed against their peers and they are awarded to those individuals judged to have made the highest in-year contribution to MoD business objectives. There is no restriction on the nature of the contribution; the only requirement is that it benefits the department or defence more widely.
	Recommendations for awards, which are considered by moderation committees, must be linked to demonstrable evidence of delivery.
	The total monetary value of Senior Civil Service non-consolidated performance pay awards is provided in the following table.
	
		
			 Year 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 
			 Total Value £918,000 £1,178,500 £1,325,700 £1,500,000 Tbc* 
		
	
	Note*: Pay committees to determine payment of non-consolidated awards for this reporting year do not finish until 29 June 2009 so the total value is not yet known.
	The figures stating how many and what proportion of the Senior Civil Service staff received performance pay awards by SCS pay band is provided in the following table.
	
		
			 Year- 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 
			 How many received awards, by pay bands 179 174 186 187 Not yet known 
			  PB1= 143 PB1= 140 PB1= 147 PB1= 151  
			  PB2= 32 PB2= 28 PB2= 34 PB2= 32  
			  PB3= 4 PB3= 6 PB3= 5 PB3= 4  
			 What proportion of the SCS population did this represent 67% Under 2/3 of the SCS 70% 70% But will not exceed Cabinet Office ceiling of 75%. 
		
	
	How awards were distributed by pay band and award category is provided in the following tables.
	2004-05
	
		
			 SCS Pay Band Number awarded High Upper Medium Lower Medium 
			 1 £7,500 £5,000 £3,500 
			 Awarded 21 54 68 
			 2 £10,000 £7,000 £4,250 
			 Awarded 5 11 4 
			 3 £12,500 £9,000 £5,000 
			 Awarded 1 2 1 
		
	
	2005-06
	
		
			 SCS Pay Band Number awarded High Upper Medium Lower Medium 
			 1 £10,000 £6,5000 £4,000 
			 Awarded 23 53 64 
			 2 £14,000 £9,500 £5,500 
			 Awarded 2 12 14 
			 3 £16,000 £11,000 £7,000 
			 Awarded 1 4 1 
		
	
	2006-07
	
		
			 SCS Pay Band Number awarded High Upper Medium Middle Medium Lower Medium 
			 1 £10,750 £7,500 £5,600 £4,500 
			 Awarded 21 34 55 37 
			 2 £14,500 £10,250 £7,750 £6,250 
			 Awarded 3 11 13 7 
			 3 £17,600 £12,750 £10,500 £7,750 
			 Awarded 2 2 1 0 
		
	
	2007-08
	
		
			 SCS Pay Band Number awarded Award levels 
			  High 10% Upper Medium 15% Middle Medium 25% Lower Medium 15% Half Lower Medium 5% 
			 1 £12,000 £9,000 £7,000 £5,600 £2,800 
			 Awarded 19 34 55 31 12 
			 2 £16,500 £12,500 £9,500 £8,000 £4,000 
			 Awarded 2 10 10 8 2 
			 3 £22,500 £17,000 £13,000 £10,000 Not applicable 
			 Awarded Not awarded 2 2 0 - 
		
	
	2008-09
	Allocation is currently being determined against the following framework within Cabinet Office capped rates per pay band and which will not exceed Cabinet Office quotas stated below.
	
		
			 SCS Pay Band High Medium Low 
			 1 £10,000 £8,000 £6,000 
			 2 £12,250 £10,250 £8,250 
			 3 £15,000 £13,000 £11,000 
		
	
	Details are not included here for non-consolidated awards for pay band 4/Permanent Secretaries, which are considered by the Permanent Secretaries' Remuneration Committee and are subject to the same rules and regulations governed by the Senior Salaries Review Body and the Cabinet Office as the rest of the SCS.
	All information provided in the tables above are figures specifically for the past five reporting years ending on 31 March for which payment is made in the following financial year.

Civil Service: Performance Pay

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 20 April (WA 370) concerning the amount of funding for Senior Civil Servants' performance-related pay, what were the figures requested.

Lord Adonis: The pay bill for permanent senior civil servants in the Department for Transport and the percentage that could be awarded as non-consolidated variable pay is set out in the following table for each year since 2005:
	
		
			  2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 
			 Non-consolidated variable pay percentage 5.0 6.5 7.6 8.6 8.6 
			 SCS pay bill £(millions) £9.84 £13.00 £13.22 £13.64 £14.02* 
		
	
	* estimated, as pay award not yet calculated and paid.

Cycling

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the appropriate authorities about discouraging cycling on footpaths in the area of the Palace of Westminster.

Lord Adonis: Cycling on the pavement is an offence under Section 72 of the Highways Act 1835. The enforcement of this, and other cycling offences, is therefore an operational matter for the police.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Drayson on 5 May (HL2987), what was the time lag between funding of research with induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and publication of such research in the journals Development (Volume 136, pages 1063-1069) or Nature (Volume 458, pages 766-775); and how this compares to the duration of time between provision of funding to derive human embryonic stem cells by nuclear transfer and research publications reporting this work.

Lord Drayson: As reported in PQ HL2990, the MRC has made one award which specifically addresses somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The award, held by the University of Newcastle, aims to incorporate technological advances to improve the efficiency of SCNT in human oocytes and develop a reproducible method of generating human embryonic stem cells following the transfer of the nucleus of an adult somatic cell into an oocyte. The project was funded in 2007 and is due to end towards the end of 2009. No research papers relating to this ongoing study have been published to date.
	The publications referred to on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) relate to ongoing MRC funding to the MRC Centre in Edinburgh and Professor Smith's team in Cambridge. This work was commenced prior to the MRC call for platform technology proposals in iPSC, funded in April 2009, though has been directly aided by the additional funding provided through this call.
	It should be noted that the timescale of developments using these two distinct approaches is not directly comparable, since SCNT represents technology in development, with significant technological hurdles in relation to using human oocytes, which are being addressed through the MRC award to the University of Newcastle. This is in contrast to the iPSC field, which has moved rapidly since the original proof of concept in mouse (2006) and human (2007) cells through the concerted efforts of numerous laboratories worldwide able to utilise the published methodology.

Equal Pay

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government in light of the report in The Financial Times of 5 May, whether there is a gender pay gap in the Health and Safety Executive; if so, what is the percentage difference; and what are the reasons for the difference.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The HSE does not recognise the figures provided in the article. The latest pay comparisons based on average salaries following the implementation of the October 2008 pay award are provided below.
	
		
			 Pay range Female Male Pay Difference (a) 
			 Band 1 (Grade 6) £57,741 £57,961 99.62% 
			 Band 2 (Grade 7) £46,206 £48,526 95.22% 
			 Band 3 (SEO) £35,604 £36,205 98.34% 
			 Band 4 (HEO) £28,033 £28,229 99.30% 
			 Band 5 (EO) £23,182 £22,610 102.53% 
			 Band 6 (AA/AO) £17,672 £17,402 101.55% 
		
	
	(a) Female salaries as a percentage of male salaries.
	The figures provided are those for standard pay earners for which a direct comparison can be made. The pay gaps are generally small.

Equal Pay: Government Departments

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government what pay gaps there are in respect of gender, race and disability among employees of the Department for Transport.

Lord Adonis: Details of gender are available from Civil Service Statistics (Table 27) on the following website at www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/ CivilService_tables_2008.xls.
	It should be noted that these gaps are caused by the varying gender distribution within the grades in the Department for Transport.
	For race and disability please see the tables below, which includes figures for staff who have made a race or disability declaration. This does not include those who have not.
	
		
			 Race Average Salary 
			  White Non-White Pay Gap Percentage Difference 
			 DfT(C) £40,464 £32,761 -£7,703 23.51 
			 VCA £25,087 £26,651 £1,564 -5.87 
			 DVLA £18,913 £19,609 £695 -3.55 
			 VOSA £22,169 £22,091 -£78 0.35 
			 MCA £25,515 £35,276 £9,761 -27.67 
			 DSA £23,845 £22,609 -£1,236 5.47 
			 HA £26,623 £27,347 £724 -2.65 
			 GCDA £32,445 £29,617 -£2,828 9.55 
			 SCS £83,199 £101,399 £18,199 -17.95 
		
	
	
		
			 Disability Average Salary 
			  Disabled Not Disabled Pay Gap Percentage Difference 
			 DfT(C) £33,657 £39,456 £5,799 -14.70 
			 VCA £24,472 £30,420 £5,948 -19.55 
			 DVLA £16,836 £16,742 -£94 0.56 
			 VOSA £22,787 £22,345 -£442 1.98 
			 MCA £26,460 £26,526 £66 -0.25 
			 DSA £24,445 £23,372 -£1,073 4.59 
			 HA £27,430 £26,111 -£1,319 5.05 
			 GCDA £26,763 £27,343 £580 -2.12 
			 SCS £73,406 £83,149 £9,743 -11.72 
		
	
	The overall pay gap figure is not relevant in the context of equal pay legislation as it does not compare like-for-like work.

Equal Pay: Government Departments

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government what pay gaps there are in respect of gender, race and disability among employees of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The most recent data for the DWP are contained in the equal pay audit completed in 2008. Then:
	the gender pay gap was 4.1 per cent;the ethnicity pay gap was 6.7 per cent; andthe disability gap was 4.3 per cent with disabled employees slightly more likely to be earning more than non-disabled colleagues in the same grade..
	All these pay gaps, which are measured across all grades, have narrowed since the last audit was completed in 2003.
	Notes:
	1) The 2008 equal pay audit used data from January 2008.

Equal Pay: Government Departments

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government what pay gaps there are in respect of gender, race and disability among employees of the Ministry of Defence.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: I would like to refer the noble Baroness to the tables on gender pay gaps as set out in the Civil Service Statistics, Table 27, which is provided at the following link at www. statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/CivilService_tables_200 8.xls.
	Information on ethnicity and disability in the Civil Service can also be found at the above link in Table 25, median earnings by ethnicity, and Table 26, median earnings by disability.
	The information requested in respect of race and disability in the Ministry of Defence is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Equal Pay: Government Departments

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government what pay gaps there are in respect of gender, race and disability among employees of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

Lord Young of Norwood Green: Information on pay in respect of gender in the department is available from the Civil Service Statistics tables (Table 27) at www. statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/CivilService_tables_2008.xls.
	Information on pay in respect of race and disability among employees in the department is not available in the form requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Information on earnings under race and disability in the Civil Service can be viewed in Tables 25 (median earnings by ethnicity) and 26 (median earnings by disability) in Civil Service Statistics.

Equal Pay: Government Departments

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government what pay gaps there are in respect of gender, race and disability among employees of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Lord Carter of Barnes: Pay gaps by gender for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are published in the Civil Service Statistics, and are set out below.
	
		
			 Department for Culture, Media and Sport Median Earnings   Mean Earnings   
			  Male Female % Diff Male Female % Diff 
			  32,130 27,600 14.1 37,640 30,920 17.9 
		
	
	The equal pay audit conducted by the department in 2007 found that determining pay gaps by ethnicity and disability was limited due to the small sample sizes available for both groups, and no firm findings could be inferred.

Equal Pay: Government Departments

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is a gender pay gap in the Department for Transport; if so, what is the percentage difference; and what are the reasons for the difference.

Lord Adonis: Details of the gender pay gap can be found at the Civil Service Statistics (Table 27) on the following website at www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/CivilService_tables_2008.xls.
	These gaps are caused by the varying gender distribution within the grades in the Department for Transport.

Government Departments: Bottled Water

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for Transport spent on bottled water in each of the past five years.

Lord Adonis: The information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost. All expenditure was incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on regularity and propriety.
	The Cabinet Secretary announced on 6 March 2008 that the use of bottled water for meetings and other official business is to be phased out across the whole government estate.

Government Departments: Bottled Water

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Ministry of Defence spent on bottled water in each of the past five years.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: Expenditure on bottled water used within the Ministry of Defence is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Bottled water is supplied through multiactivity, private finance initiative and public/private partnership contracts. In accordance with government policy on sustainable procurement, the supply of bottled water is to be removed from such contracts, where drinkable tap water is available.
	Separately, bottled water is supplied to service personnel in theatres of operations. Expenditure against the current contract is shown in the table below. Expenditure prior to October 2006 could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 EXPENDITURE ON BOTTLED WATER TO THEATRE 
			 FINANCIAL YEAR COST (£million) 
			 October 2006-March 2007 1.495 
			 April 2007-March 2008 2.602 
			 April 2008-March 2009 2.520

Government Departments: Staff Absence

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government what the rates of staff (a) absence, and (b) sickness absence, were at (1) the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and (2) each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies, in each of the past three years; and what the targets for the department were in each case.

Lord Carter of Barnes: (a) The rate of unauthorised staff absence for the DCMS and the Royal Parks Agency (the DCMS's executive agency) is zero.
	(b) The below table shows the average days lost per person due to sickness absence for the DCMS and the Royal Parks Agency in the past three years.
	
		
			  AWDL  
			 Reporting Year DCMS Royal Parks 
			 2006-07 4.9 4.8 
			 2007-08 3.8 5.4 
			 2008-09 4.1 4 
		
	
	The department does not have targets set for sickness absence.
	Notes:
	The information in relation to the non-departmental public bodies could only be provided at disproportionate costs.
	We have interpreted absence in (a) as being unauthorised absence.

Government: Ministerial Salaries

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total salary of each Secretary of State.

Lord Patel of Bradford: Ministerial salaries are governed by legislation. The principal Acts are the Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975 (MOSA) and the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 (MOPSA).
	Information on the total salary of each Secretary of State can therefore be found in the public domain, specifically in the Library.
	Given the importance of public sector pay restraint at a time of economic uncertainty, salaried Ministers will not be accepting any pay rise in 2009-10 in their ministerial pay.

Gulf War Illnesses

Lord Bramall: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the answers by Lord Tunnicliffe on 27 April (Official Report, House of Lords, cols 8-10), whether his statement that the United States Institute of Medicine (IOM) was then reviewing the findings of the Congressionally-mandated US Research Advisory Committee's inquiry into Gulf War Illnesses and that he expected the IOM to report in February 2010 took account of all information readily available; and whether they are revising his statement and will be informing the House accordingly.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The US Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) issued a press release on 1 December 2008 which states:
	"The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has sent the October 2008 report from the VA Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses to the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine (IOM) for review and recommendations".
	At this time the MoD is not aware of any plans by the DVA to reissue or update its statement on this matter.

Gurkhas

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Nepalese citizens are serving in the Gurkhas; and how many in other branches of Her Majesty's armed forces.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: As at 1 March 2009 there were a total of 3,880 Gurkhas in the Army who were Nepalese citizens. Of these, 130 were Gurkha officers and 3,760 were Gurkha soldiers. In addition, there were 280 Nepalese citizens serving in the wider British Army. There are no Nepalese citizens serving in the Navy or the RAF.
	It should be noted that figures cited have been rounded to 10 and due to ongoing validation of data from the Joint Personnel Administration System, figures are provisional and subject to review.

Gurkhas

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Gurkhas are expected to be recruited in the financial year 2009—10.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: Under current plans, the Army expects to recruit 230 Gurkhas in 2009-10.

Higher Education: Student Accommodation

Baroness Sharp of Guildford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether university-managed student accommodation is required to hold first-aid medical supplies for staff to give to residents who seek their help in dealing with non-emergency medical situations; and, if so, what advice they have issued on that matter.

Lord Drayson: Universities hold the responsibility for ensuring that health and safety requirements are met in their institutions, including in any accommodation they directly manage. Universities will normally take a risk-based approach on health and safety and priority will be given to areas identified in institutions' own risk assessments.
	The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers, including universities, to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to offer first-aid cover to their employees. Universities do not have legal responsibilities for non-employees, but in terms of good practice institutions may include visitors and students in their first-aid risk assessments. The UUK code of practice on student accommodation, which the majority of universities are signed up to, specifies that:
	"students should be given clear advice on what action is to be taken in the event of an emergency e.g. first aid provision, means of calling an ambulance. They should be provided with contact details for emergencies and informed of procedures for reporting accidents or safety defects".
	Institutions also have access to the expertise of the Universities Safety and Health Association, which is a sector organisation dedicated to promoting heath and safety in higher education.

Housing: Private Landlords

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether HM Revenue and Customs have access to details of councils' payments to private landlords whose properties are the subject of the payment of housing benefit.

Lord Myners: HMRC is able to obtain a return of housing benefits paid to private landlords by serving a statutory notice on a local authority. HMRC would seek this information only to service specific tax compliance projects. Where HMRC issues such notices it would seek the information from all local authorities in the UK.

Human Rights

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Malloch-Brown on 5 May (WA 102) which indicated that United Kingdom missions overseas regularly report on human rights in foreign countries, what is the purpose of such reporting.

Lord Malloch-Brown: Our diplomatic missions overseas—including high commissions, embassies and consulates—report events, activities and other information relevant to our policy goals back to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and to other government departments. Reporting on human rights issues can be requested directly by the FCO or government departments; for example, when preparing the FCO's annual human rights report, assessing whether or not to grant an export licence, or taking forward work to eradicate torture or promote freedom of expression globally. In addition, posts use their own judgment in reporting significant developments and providing analysis relevant to policy priorities.

Human Rights: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the human rights which should be recognised in Northern Ireland and not in the rest of the United Kingdom referred to by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland at the House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on 1 April.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Government will consult on the rights that might be included in a potential Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland in due course.

IRA

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether in the last ten years the IRA has sold its expertise in bomb making and planting to other terrorist groups; if so, to who; and when.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Government concur with the IMC's assessment, in its 21st report, that the Provisional IRA is following an exclusively peaceful path. It also notes that the IMC, which is responsible for monitoring levels of paramilitary activity, has not raised this matter as a concern previously.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Shaun Woodward, meant when he said at the House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on 1 April that in advising on a bill of rights the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission "has gone so well beyond the brief they were given"; whether that point has been made to the chief commissioner; if so, when; and what assessment they have made of whether it was appropriate for the Commission and the Northern Ireland Office to spend funding on issues not in the brief.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission's advice on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland was presented to Northern Ireland Office Ministers by the commission on 10 December 2008.
	The uncorrected transcript of the Secretary of State's full response to questions from members of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee about the advice on lApril 2009, which makes clear his meaning, can be found at www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmniaf/uc404-i/uc40402.htm. This transcript is publicly available and I understand that the chief commissioner is aware of it.
	The statutory functions of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission are set out in Section 69 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and provision for its funding in Schedule 7 to that Act. The Government have no reason to believe that the commission has exceeded its statutory remit and no plans to take any action in this respect.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has studied the minority reports from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission; and, if so, whether he will consult all parties about those reports.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: There is nothing further I can add to the Answer given on 30 March 2009 (Official Report, col. WA 200).

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government in view of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission producing three reports on proposed rights for Northern Ireland, whether the process of considering human rights has built confidence in Northern Ireland.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The process of considering the scope for a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland stems from commitments made in the Belfast agreement. The presentation of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission's report to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 10 December 2008 was an important part of that process. The commission acknowledged in that report the dissent of two commissioners. The provision of the advice contained in the report fulfilled the commission's statutory duty, stemming from the Belfast agreement, to provide such advice.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government with reference to the oral evidence given by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Shaun Woodward, before the House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on 1 April, when the Northern Ireland Office first discovered that in providing it with advice on human rights the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission had gone beyond its brief; what action they took; and what steps they are taking now.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission's advice on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland was presented to Northern Ireland Office Ministers by the commission on 10 December 2008.
	The uncorrected transcript of the Secretary of State's full response to questions from members of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee about the advice on 1April 2009, which makes clear his meaning, can be found at www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmniaf/uc404-i/uc40402.htm. This transcript is publicly available and I understand that the chief commissioner is aware of it.
	The statutory functions of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission are set out in Section 69 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and provision for its funding in Schedule 7 to that Act. The Government have no reason to believe that the commission has exceeded its statutory remit and no plans to take any action in this respect.

Northern Ireland Office: Budget

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Northern Ireland Office's efficiency gains forecast for its political directorate of £2.7 million were under target last year by £1.5 million; and what estimate has been made for future years.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The 2004 spending review committed the Northern Ireland Office to achieving a target of £90 million of efficiency gains by March 2008. By the end of 2007-08, £103.6 million of efficiency gains had been delivered by the department and, as part of the NIO CSR 2007 settlement, HM Treasury agreed that £11 million of this overachievement could be included as part of the department's CSR07 value-for-money target. At the request of HM Treasury, to ensure transparency around the figures, this overachievement was deducted from final published SR04 efficiency figures to ensure there is no double counting when the department publishes delivery against value-for-money programme targets.
	The final efficiency gain amount for 2007-08 is less than the forecast figure that appeared in the department's efficiency technical note and the 2007 autumn performance report because these figures were not at the time reported net of overdelivery.
	The SR04 efficiency programme concluded on 31 March 2008 and the department now reports efficiency against the CSR07 value-for-money programme, details of which can be found at www.nio.gov.uk.

Northern Ireland Office: Efficiency

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the 170 efficiency initiations identified by the Northern Ireland Office as part of the 2004 Spending Review.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The volume of work required to retrieve the information requested means that it would only be possible to provide a full list of initiatives at disproportionate cost.

Northern Ireland Office: Staff

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many staff were employed by the Northern Ireland Office, excluding agencies, executive and non-departmental public bodies, on 1 January in each year since 1998.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The information requested is set out in the following table. For the period 1 January 1998 to 1 January 2002, the information is held in terms of full-time equivalent staff—ie, two-part time staff were counted as one full-time member of staff. Thereafter the information is held in terms of actual numbers of staff employed. The figures after 2002 also reflect the expansion of the Director of Public Prosecution's Office and the new Public Prosecution Service.
	
		
			 January 2009 1,306 
			 January 2008 1,302 
			 January 2007 1,266 
			 January 2006 1,206 
			 January 2005 1,172 
			 January 2004 1,093 
			 January 2003 1,029 
			 January 2002 901* 
			 January 2001 844* 
			 January 2000 852* 
			 January 1999 885* 
			 January 1998 870* 
		
	
	* Please note these are full-time equivalent figures.

Northern Ireland Office: Staff

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 28 April (WA 32) concerning allowances paid to staff of the Northern Ireland Office, why they answered the Question for Written Answer tabled on 18 December (HL 208) concerning danger money by outlining that 1,542 staff received an allowance in recognition of work in the law and order area, in the light of the answer which indicated they did not pay danger money.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 28 April (WA 32) concerning an allowance paid to staff in the Northern Ireland Office, why, and for how long, the revised environmental allowance was used.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 28 April (WA 32) concerning the payment of allowances to staff in the Northern Ireland Office, why and for how long the revised environmental allowance was extended in 1991.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Northern Ireland Office does not pay danger money. The Answer provided on 18 December (Official Report, col. WA 72) assumed that the reference in the Question to danger money was a reference to the revised environmental allowance.
	In 1991 an environmental allowance was introduced for staff working in police stations and prisons. In 1992 a revised environmental allowance was introduced for all staff working in the law and order field. The revised environmental allowance is currently under review.

Northern Ireland: Bill of Rights

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether proposals for a bill of rights for Northern Ireland will apply to the entire United Kingdom.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: As the Belfast agreement makes clear, the rights contained in any Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland would reflect the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland. The question of a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities for the United Kingdom is explored in the Green Paper published by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Justice on 23 March 2009, entitled Rights and Responsibilities: Developing our Constitutional Framework (Cm7577).

Olympic Games 2012

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the targets for transport of materials to and from the Stratford Olympic site by sustainable means by (a) water, and (b) rail, broken down into (1) bulk fill and waste, (2) concreting materials, (3) reinforcing bars, (4) steelwork, (5) building materials, and (6) prefabricated sections.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The target set by the ODA sustainability development strategy (2007) states that 50 per cent of construction materials (by weight) will be transported by sustainable means. This target is reflected in the planning obligations for the Olympic park.
	The ODA has not set separate targets for the transportation of construction materials by water and rail, nor are these further broken down by material type.
	Figures announced in April showed that the ODA is exceeding that target and achieving 57 per cent of construction material deliveries to the Olympic park site by rail alone. The dredging of the local waterways—enabling further sustainable transportation of construction material—is now in progress, with the opening of Prescott Lock in early summer giving site access to barges of 350 tonnes load-bearing.

Olympic Games 2012

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many loaded delivery trucks entered and left the Stratford Olympic site during each of the past 24 months; what are the forecast monthly numbers during the next two years; and what were the planned numbers.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The ODA has implemented rigorous monitoring systems since the start of the construction programme and has recorded the number of lorry movements to and from the Olympic park construction site from May 2007 to the end of April 2009 as 219,280. Detailed breakdowns of numbers on a month-to-month basis are not available, however, due to the significant additional resource requirement and disproportionate costs that this exercise would incur.
	For the next two years, the planned number is approximately 380,000 and is in line with the forecast average of 15,700 two-way movements per month.

Olympic Games 2012

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what limits are placed on the hours of freight movement by road, rail and waterway into and out of the Stratford Olympic site.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The ODA has self-imposed limits on hours of freight movement by road. Movements are limited to 0630 to 1830 Monday to Friday and between 0700 to 1400 on Saturday. The exception is for abnormal loads which are planned to come to site during the night. There are no limitations for rail and none for water other than tidal restrictions and prior agreement with British Waterways.

Olympic Games 2012

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the proportion of materials delivered to or from the Stratford Olympic site up to the present compared with targets based on (a) tonne-miles, (b) value, and (c) weight.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has not set targets in respect of tonne-miles, value, or weight of materials delivered to or from the Olympic park site. Separate to the above however, and as part of its sustainability development strategy, the ODA has set a target of 50 per cent delivery of materials (by weight) to the park site by sustainable means. Figures announced in April showed that the ODA is exceeding that target (see HL3395).

Olympic Games 2012

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Oldham on 23 April (WA 412) saying that the Government Olympic Executive (GOE) "is the only body overseeing the entire Olympic project" for the London Games in 2012, who charged the GOE with that role; and when its performance was last reviewed by the Olympic Board.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government Olympic Executive (GOE) is responsible to the Minister for the Olympics, who has lead responsibility for the 2012 Games within Government, which includes working with the wider Olympic family to ensure the success of the 2012 Games.
	The GOE's role is to support the Minister for the Olympics in the discharge of her responsibilities through:
	overseeing the management of the £9.3 billion public sector funding package for the Games, ensuring public money is being well spent, and ensuring taxpayers interests are appropriately represented in the delivery of the wider 2012 programme;acting as the funder of last resort for the London Organising Committee for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG); acting as sponsors of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), which will deliver the main venues for the 2012 Games;ensuring all government departments fulfil their obligations to help LOCOG stage the Games;leading the cross-government programme to deliver a national legacy from the Games; andoverseeing the long-term regeneration and development of the Olympic park in east London through membership of the Olympic Park Legacy Company.
	By virtue of these roles, the GOE requires oversight of the entire 2012 programme.

Public Expenditure

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, having regard to the state of the public finances and the need to reduce public expenditure, they will reconsider their decisions to replace Trident submarines, build Titan prisons, and introduce identity cards.

Lord Myners: The Government's position on Trident submarines, the building of prisons and identity cards has been set out by, respectively, the Secretaries of State for Defence and for Justice and the Home Secretary.

Social Care: Employers

Lord Ashley of Stoke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action has been taken against employers of social care workers who provide an inadequate service.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Care Quality Commission (CQC), as regulator of social care, inspects care providers against statutory regulations and national minimum standards and has powers of enforcement, which it may use at its discretion, depending on the nature/severity of any breach of regulations. The range of powers is:
	a formal non-statutory caution;a notice requiring improvement within a specified time period;conditions that place restrictions on registration (for example, preventing the provider running a particular service or preventing further admissions to a service);prosecution of organisations and/or individuals—resulting in fines or, in extreme cases, imprisonment; and ultimatelycancellation of registration, which closes the service down.
	From 2010, the CQC will be introducing a new system of registration under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, which will give it additional powers designed to bring providers back into compliance where they are not providing acceptable levels of care. The full range of powers will be:
	a formal non-statutory caution;a new statutory warning notice, requiring improvement within a specified time; conditions that place restrictions on registration (for example, preventing the provider from running a particular service or preventing further admissions to a service);a new power to issue a fine in lieu of prosecution (penalty notice);a new power to suspend registration for a specific period;prosecution of organisations and/or individuals—resulting in fines or, in extreme cases, imprisonment; and ultimatelycancellation of registration, which closes the service down.

Social Care: Inspectors

Lord Ashley of Stoke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what powers social care inspectors have.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The regulation of adult social care is now the responsibility of the new independent regulator, the Care Quality Commission, which took over from the Commission for Social Care Inspection, the Healthcare Commission and the Mental Health Act Commission on 1 April 2009.
	Under the Care Standards Act 2000, the commission's inspectors have powers to:
	require a provider of a regulated activity to provide information, whether registered with the commission or not;enter and inspect premises which they believe to be used for a regulated activity; examine the state and management of any relevant premises;examine the treatment and care of patients or people using the service; inspect and take copies of documents and records; interview the manager, staff or people using the service; examine patients or people using the service; seize documents, materials or other things;require any person to help with the investigation; andtake measurements and photographs that may be necessary in carrying out the above powers.
	Any person who intentionally obstructs the exercise of these powers, or fails to comply without reasonable excuse is guilty of an offence.

St Andrews Agreement

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what changes were made to the remit and administration of the Ulster Scots Agency as a result of the St Andrews agreement.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The St Andrews agreement stated that the "Government firmly believe in the need to enhance and develop the Ulster Scots language, heritage and culture and will support the incoming Executive in taking this forward". The administration and remit of the Ulster Scots Agency is a matter for the devolved Administration in Northern Ireland

Taxation: Private Residence Relief

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the benefit to the Exchequer of ensuring Private Residence Relief (main house) exemption from capital gains tax is granted only when there is no exemption from council tax or second home discount in force on the date of disposal.

Lord Myners: No estimate has been made.

UN: Human Rights Council

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consult the former President of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel, before voting in elections for membership of the United Nations Human Rights Council; and whether they have proposals for reforming the Council.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We did not consult the former President of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel, before voting in the UN Human Rights Council elections which took place on Tuesday 12 May 2009. As is usual in elections to UN bodies, the ballot was secret and details of voting are not made public.
	The UK is firmly committed to the UN Human Rights Council and to working to make it the most effective body possible for the promotion and protection of all human rights. We are devoting our efforts to making mechanisms of the council, such as the universal periodic review, effective and have no reform proposals at this stage.